Ampul washing device



`Aug. 20, 1957 J. M. cozzoLl AMPUL WASHING DEVICE Filed March 10, 1955 oo ooowooo UOOO Sla

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IJll MES AMPUL WASHING DEVICE Joseph M. Cozzoli, Plainfield, N. I. Application March 10, 1955, Serial No. 493,518

4 Claims. (Cl. 134-143) This invention relates to apparatus for washing small ampuls, vials, tubes and the like, but more especially ampuls, and is concerned more particularly with a means for registering the open ends of the containers with their respective Washing jets prior totelescoping and after registration and telescoping has been achieved to disassociate the ampul ends from the registering means t facilitate thorough washing of the tip ends and to prevent contamination thereof.

At the present time washing of ampuls, tubes and the like is carried out either by an immersion method wherein the container is submerged in a bath and the liquid :aused to enter by evacuating the air and later expelled by evacuating the liquid or by centrifugal force, or by inserting a tubular needle into the ampul or tube and injecting a Washing agent which later, in most cases, is expelled by air pressure. This invention primarily concerns apparatus adapted to carry out the last mentioned method of washing which employs one or more needle jets whose ends as well as the ends of the ampuls must be brought into substantial concentricity before telescoping of the one with the other can be achieved. Various means have been provided for establishing needleandA container-mouth registering and a common expedient being to employ a needle-guide plate which surrounds and guides the needle. The needle-guide plate is also provided with cone-shaped recesses on one side, the axes of the cones being aligned with those of the needles.

In one form of ampul washing machine, such as typified in the patent to Cozzoli No. 2,671,457, the washing needle is vertically disposed and the cone plate or 'impulcnd registering plate is relatively movable in the direction of the axis of the needle. Another plate which contines the ampul open-end-down is placed over the cone plate and lowered until the open end of the ampul settles in the cone and centers itself by gravity. With the ampul end centered in the cone, the cone plate is also lowered and the needle which has been guided continually by the plate is caused to project through the plate and into the ampul. When the ampul has been properly telescoped by the needle one or more washing agents is injected into the ampul to effect the cleaning thereof. Also a washing agent is usually applied to the exteriors.

At the completion of the washing operation and on elevating the plate the ampul again settles down 1n the cone thus immersing the tip end in a pool of wash water. The aim of the present invention is to hold the United States Patent O ampul out of contact with the cone after telescoping has been achieved so that during the subsequent internal and external washing operations the ampul end may be thoroughly iiushed with the washing agents and not allowed thereafter to contact the cone plate or to stand in a pool of drain water. The, primary aim of this invention is the avoidance of recontamination of the ampul after it has undergone a cleaning process.

A further aim of this invention is to provide a simple means that may be readily applied to washing machines and which will operate to permit ampul centering in the 2,803,257 Patented Aug. 20, 1957 ice rst instance but which will, after centering and telescoping of the ampul and needle, operate to hold the ampul out of engagement with the centering means not only during the cleansing process but after completion of the cleansing process and the untelescoping operation While the ampul may be draining prior to removal and drying.

Other objects and advantages Will be in part indicated in the following description and in part rendered apparont therefrom in connection with the annexed drawings.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to apprehend the underlying features hereof `that they may embody the same in the various ways contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred typical construction have been annexed as a part of this disclosure and, in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which:

. Figure l of the drawings is a side view of a portion of a washing machine embodying this invention, parts of the machine being illustrated in full lines in one position and certain parts in dotted lines in another position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus illustrating the parts in the position they assume when a rack of unwashed ampuls is rst placed in the washing machine.

Fig. 3 illustrates the relative positions of ampul and needle after centering and prior to telescoping.

Fig. 4 illustrates the position of an ampul relative to its centering cone on completion of the telescoping operation.

Fig. 5 illustrates the held-out position of the ampul as the needle is withdrawn, which held-out position is maintained until the Fig. 2 position is reached at which time the'rack of processed ampuls may be removed and replaced by a rack of unwashed ampuls.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of portions of the apparatus.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l the portion of the machine illustrated comprises a basin member 1i) that has a flanged rim 11 within which fits a hinged cover 12. The cover carries an outside-wash assembly indicated at 13 and a hold-down screen 14 whose functions will later be explained.

Centrally of the basin is a valve plate 15 to which one or more process lines 16 may be connected. To the top of the plate 15 is a removably mounted combination manifold and needle plate 17. In the instant exemplitication the needle plate 17 is equipped with a bank of 144 needles N whose interiors communicate with the manifold and by which the procesLing mediums may be injected into the ampul interiors. Mounted for vertical movement axially of the needles is a second plate member 18, hereinafter referred to as a centering plate but which may also be regarded as a guide plate or a cone plate. The plate 18 is provided with a bank of openings 18a which correspond in number and spacing to the needle arrangement. The lower portions of the openings closely but slidingly guide the needles and the upper portion of the openings flare outwardly and form cone recesses 18b whose apices are coincident with the needle axes. During vertical movement of the plate 18 the plate is guided on pins 19 located outside the needle bank. When in a loading position the plate 18 assumes an elevated position adjacent the outer ends of the needles (Figs. 2 and 3) whereat the ends of the needles are withdrawn from the cones 18b but remain guided in the through openings 18a provided in the body of the plate. This position may be termed the loading position.

With the centering plate 18 in loading position, a previously-loaded plate of ampuls is placed thereon. The ampul-handling plate is designated 20 and comprises a perforated member whose holes 21 therein conform in number and spacing to that of the needles N. The

holesin-"the l'plate are adapted to contain ampuls AA in'inverted position, each hole being large enoughto receive the stem end of an lampul but not the body portion. `The body portions of the ampuls shoulder on the riins ofthe holes and hang small-end down. Leg' 'stand ards 21a positioned about the margins of the plate 2 0 serveto maintain thefplte elevated and the stern lends of the ampuls out of contact with a work-table surface on which a loaded plate may be placed. Additionally thev leg standards function as registration guides for the plate `when thelatter is placed upon the machine. To thatend each `leg standard 21a is formed with a reduced guide portion 2lb that terminates vinto a shoulder 21e. The centering plate 18 is formed with a set 4of complementaryfholes '22 located to receive the 'redu ced portions of theleg standards. When the handling plate is'placed upon Vthe Vcenter'ing'plate 18 with the guides 2lb in registrywith holes 22 it may be 'gently lowered until contact"is lmade by shoulder 2 1c 'with the surface of the centeringfplate., .The shoulders`21c are, it will be'noted, locatedupwardlyvfrom the tip -ends of the ampuls in the plate vso that uponloweringsthe plate V'the tip ends of the ampulsrst enter Vthe cone recesses 18b and are 'guided' thereby into concentricity with the needles, see Fig.- 3. Preferably each ampul should elevate slightly as vindicated in'Figf3 which will indicate bottomingand centralization.

Thereafter the two plates 18 and 20 are lowered as a unit and the processing needles N enter the respective ampuls. Ordinarily a subsequent raising of the plates to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 to withdraw the needles would cause the cleansed ampuls to again settle back into the cone recesses where they are likely to become recontaminated either by contact with the centering plate orv by being `allowed to stand in a pool of wash water that collects in the cone recesses.

To obviate suchpossibilities it is proposed to provide simple means operative to permit centralization of the tip ends of the ampuls upon loading and telescoping of the ampuls with the jets but operative upon reverse operation to-prevent engagement with the cones in the centering plate. A preferred means for accomplishing those ends comprises a pair of friction-retained stop-pins mounted preferably in the centering plate 18 for endwise movement. The stop-pins 25 extend parallelfto the needle and 4ampul axes and a portion thereof extends from above the plate (18 and a portion below the plate 18. `"l `he stop pins are located in the plate 18 so fas 'to `beengaged by the handling plate 20 as well as themselves to engage ltheneedIe or jet) plate 17, preferably outside 'theneedle bank. The stoppins should Abe shorter in length than'the over-all travel of the centering plate, but should be longer than VVthe length that 'the 4ampuls wouldnormally telescope" the needles. e

To kobtainincreased guiding means forthe stop-pins A25 bushings y26 may be inserted'in the Vplate 18. Individual spring means 27 housed in the platef18f and backed up by screws 28, are provided to urge a clamp pin 29 yieldingly into engagement with the sides of the stop-pins. Thesprings are tensioned to maintain the stop-pins in one orl another shifted position with suticient pressure to enable them to carry a reasonable load such as the weight of a handling plate 20 and a charge of ampuls without slipping. However, the springs Vare not tensioned to a degree that will prevent slipping the pins end-wise under the urge of the operator, nor are theytensioned utliciently to support the weight ofthe centering plate InV the position illustrated in Fig. 2, thelstop-pins 25 are'in an upwardly-slid Vpositionlso that theirtop.ends are engaged the handling plate 20 befrei't'he tip'en'ds of the ampuls engage the cone recesses 18b in the centering plate. However, as the handling plate 20 is gently lowered further by the operator, the stop pins 25 which Vare now in abutting relation with the underside of the handling plate 20, are manually urged downwardly through their friction guides l26 'and 'caused 'to project more from the underside of the plate 18. During this manual lowering of the handling plate the latter is guided by the stern ends 2lb in the apertures 22 of the plate 18. The lowering of the handling plate 20 relative to the plate 18 is continued until the shoulders 21C of the leg standards abut the plate 18 at which time the open ends of the ampuls will have become fully centered in the cones 18b (Fig. 3). 'Thereafter vthe plate 18 is lowered. ln this instance thevho'od 12 is moved toward closed position which, as hereinafter explained, eifects a loweringof the centering-plate-supporting rails '30 and the assembly carried thereby thus causing the needles N to enter the centered ends of the ampuls.

Continued lowering of the assembly brings the lower ends of the projecting stop pins 25 into engagement with the surface of the stationary plate 1 7y whereby to arrest the,desce'nt of thelp'insand the handling plate 20 'resting thereon. D ownward movement'of the rails 30'and centering'pla'te 18"cor`1tinues relative to plate 20`and"st`op pins 25 until lthefhoodis completely-closed'- and this final movement cases vthecentei-ing plate to'move beyond'jor away from the endsof the ampuls (Figs. l and 4 position)'and the. open ends ofthe ampuls hangclean'of and out of engagement with `the v.walls of the cone 'recesses 18b. In this manner the centering and telescoping of a bank of ampuls' with a'bank of needles is vconveniently achieved Vand"'after telescoping hasbeen attained thei'c'enteingmeans is automatically withdrawn from engagement with the ampuls. Withthe parts in this re- 'lation thewashing process is performed.

After thewashing process has 'been completed, upward movementoftheplate 18, carries the extended, frictionheldfstoppins also, land the latter carries'the handling plate 20 so ythat the vspatial relationexisting between the ends of rthe'famp'ulsand 'the'c'o'ne recesses during the processingisV maintained during the elevating and needleextracting-operation. 'In`this wayv the ampul ends from vwhich uid drains during" the washing and after the washin'g agentsliaverbeen'fshut ot,"remain suspended and out-of-contact with the conicalfrecesses as well as out of contactwith any residual washing agent'that may adhere to( the surfacel ofthe centering plate or in the conical recesses thereof. A

Upon varrival of the centering plate again to its loading position, Fig.'2,"the` h`andling plate and its charge of ampuls is lifted out of'the guide 'holes 22 and olf'the tops ofthes'top-'pins 25, and'wsentto' a drying'or sterlzing oven, or set' aside -to"`awaits'uch'ifurther processing as may be desired.

In 'the instantembodimentof the invention, relative movement hetwen'the nedl'esfand'the 'ampuls' for telesc'oping purposes '-`isf"eife"ctd byiaf'isystem'of railsfand ylinkages connected with the AAhinged vhood 12 and y'operatedby ythe closing fand' opening' movement of 'the' latter. To that 'end afpair"ofparallekrails 30 are provided adapted to underlie 'and "support the centering plate 18, one aty each side. vThe 'eenter'ing lplate 18 is initially placed upon the guide posts 19`and restsof its'o'wnweight upon the rails 30. E ach'of therails 30 is pivotally connected to the'freeendsof a Ispaced-'pair of rigid links l31 whose otherends are pivtally connected as at 31a to a stationary part ofthe' machine, for example, to one end of t'hepr'ocess plate 15. When-the links 31 arein an approximately horizontal position as'shown in full lines in Fig. 1, 4the rails are down and when| the links 31 standapproximatly verticalthe-'railsv are upl Movement of the rails v30'isetfectedby movement of the hood 'l2-,through the ymedium `of`anothe pairof links l32 that -33 offset from hinge pivot 12a 'off-the hood fand "at t their other ends to the respectiver'ails 30.' The-'links 32 are proportionedin length and their'pivotal'connection with the hood so .located with respect 'tofthehingefaxes 12a and'31a 'that when the hood is down-'or closed the rails Si) are down7 and when the hood is opened (dotted line position Fig. 1) the rails 30 are up. Though the elevating rails move in an arcuate path, the guide posts 19 constrain the plate 18 which by gravity rests upon the rails to a vertical movement paralleling the axes of the needles N.

The elevating arrangement herein disclosed is representative and other forms of plate raising and lowering means may be resorted to without effecting the functioning of the hold-out pins 25.

Without further analysis the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various utilizations by retaining one or more of the features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of either the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should be, and are intended to be, comprehended Within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to secure the following combinations and elements, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. In an ampul washing machine having a bank of washing needles adapted to be telescoped with ampuls to be washed, a relatively movable needle-and-ampulcentering plate adapted to centralize ampuls axially with the needles, said centering plate having recesses therein centralized with the needles presenting surfaces contacted by the tip ends of the ampuls for centralizing the ampuls upon a lowering of the tip ends of the ampuls therein, guide means for said centering plate, a handling plate adapted to contain ampuls having apertures therein only large enough to pass the stem ends of the ampuls and not their body portions, the ampuls being positioned in the apertures in the plate in inverted position, intertting means independent of said guide means provided in part by the handling plate and in part by the centering plate for registering the ampuls with the recesses in the latter when the handling plate containing a bank of ampuls is placed upon the centering plate, means for effecting bodily movement of the handling plate and the centering plate relative to the needles to bring the needles and ampuls into telescoped relation for a washing opera tion, and means carried by said centering plate operative subsequent to the start of the telescoping operation to effect relative movement between the handling plate and the centering plate in a spreading direction to withdraw the tip ends of the ampuls out of contact with the surfaces of the recesses in the centering plate, said last named means being operative thereafter to maintain the handling plate and the centering plate in said spread apart relation to maintain the tip ends of the ampuls out of contact with the recesses in the centeringplate during movement of the centering plate relative to the needles in an untelescoping direction.

2. In an ampul washing machine having a bank of washing needles adapted to be telescoped with ampuls to be washed, a relatively movable needle-and-ampul-centering plate adapted to centralize ampuls axially with the needles, said centering plate having recesses therein centralized with the needles presenting surfaces positioned to be engaged by the tip ends of the ampuls for centralizing the ampuls with the needles when the tip ends of the ampuls are inserted therein, a handling plate adapted to contain ampuls, said handling plate having apertures therein only large enough to pass the stem ends of the ampuls and not their body portions, the ampuls being positioned in the apertures in the plate in inverted position, guide means for the centering plate, additional guide means comprising shaft elements carried by the handling plate and cooperating shaft-receiving apertures formed in the centering plate for registering the ampuls with the recesses in the latter when the handling plate containing a bank of ampuls is juxtaposed with the centering plate, means for etfecting relative movement between the centering plate and handling plate assemblage and the needles to bring the needles and the centralized ampuls into telescoped relation for a washing operation, and stick-slip means carried by the centering plate and operative prior to the completion of the ampul-needle telescoping operation to effect relative movement between the handling plate and the centering plate in a spreading direction so as to withdraw the tip ends of the ampuls out of engagement with the surfaces of the recesses in the centering plate, said last named means being operative thereafter to maintain the handling plate and the centering plate in said spread apart relation to maintain the tip ends of the ampuls out of contact with the recesses in the centering plate during movement of the centering plate relative to the needles in an untelescoping direction.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said stickslip means comprises a plurality of shaft members mounted in the centering plate for axial movement in a direction parallel to the needle axes and being positioned in the centering plate within the margins of the handling plate whereby during the relative movement between the centering plate and the needles in effecting the telescoping operation the handling plate abuts the ends of the shaft members and its movement arrested thereby.

4. In an ampul washing machine having a plate containing a bank of washing needles adapted to be telescoped with ampuls to be Washed, a needle-and-ampulcentering plate adapted to centralize ampuls axially with the needles, a handling plate adapted to contain a bank of ampuls in inverted position, said centering plate having recesses centralized with the needles presenting surfaces adapted to be contacted by the down-turned tip ends of the ampuls for centralizing the ampuls with the needles when the tip ends of the ampuls are placed therein, means for effecting relative movement between the centering plate and the needles to bring the needles and centralized ampuls in telescoped relation for a washing operation, the improvement comprising stop means carried by the centering plate operative subsequent to the start of the telescoping operation to effect relative movement between the handling plate and the centering plate in a spreading direction so as to withdraw the tip ends of the ampuls out of contact with the surfaces of the recesses in the centering plate and means normally operative to maintain the handling plate and the centering plate in the last mentioned spread apart relation during relative movement between the ampuls and the needles in an untelescoping direction so that the ampuls are maintained in a position out of engagement with the recesses in the centering plate.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,678,252 Kendall July 24, 1928 2,671,457 Cozzoli Mar. 9, 1954 2,671,742 Cozzoli Mar. 9, 1954 2,691,381 Strunck Oct. 12, 1954 2,704,266 Rose Mar. 15, 1955 

